HS BOYS LACROSSE: Princeton avenges last year's loss to PDS in overtime, advances to MCT final

By ERIN LENNON, For The Trentonian

Tuesday, May 14, 2013

EWING — When the high-scoring offense of Princeton met the air-tight defense of rival Princeton Day in the semifinals of the Mercer County Tournament, it was bound to come down to just one goal.

Last year, the Little Tigers fell to the Panthers in overtime in the semifinal of the tournament. It was the third time in three years that Princeton senior Zach Halliday failed to clinch a county title.

Call it sweet revenge. Forty-eight minutes into this year’s contest, tied at six goals apiece, the game was just that. Ultimately, offense came out on top, as Princeton (13-3) topped PDS in overtime, 7-6, Tuesday afternoon on the turf at Ewing High.

After receiving a long pass down the field, Halliday wove around three PDS defenders before nearly falling into the goal and converted what looked like the game-winning tally.

But it was nothing more than a crease violation.

Seconds into overtime, Halliday found senior Adam Ainslie — playing in his first season since freshman year — who scored the game-winning goal, punching Princeton’s ticket to a second county final in three years.

“There were so many alumni calling me telling me you can’t lose to PDS,” Halliday said. “They were all just telling me, ‘You have to beat this team. You can’t let them do this to you again.’ Beating them in the same fashion they did to us was nice.”

In the first quarter, the Panthers (11-6) — with a defense that has held opponents to less than 10 goals in 11 of 16 games this season — used a combination of man-to-man and zone defense to the dismay of a normally prolific Little Tiger offense.

Well, except Will Hare. The noticeably shortest player on the field, Hare was able to maneuver through several Tigers for his first unassisted goal of the quarter with 9:35 left. He scored his second goal four minutes later to put Princeton up 2-0.

Despite failing to convert on several breakaway opportunities, PDS entered the huddle down just one goal, when 45 seconds later Bump Lisk converted his first goal for the Panthers. Goalie Nelson Garrymore recorded four saves and allowed just two goals behind a defense that forced three turnovers in the quarter.

A three-minute possession to start the second quarter culminated in a PDS goal from Jacob Shavel. On defense, the Panthers were able to hold off Princeton through the first half of the quarter, before allowing a goal to Adam Ainslie.

With just over two minutes to play in the half, when it looked like Princeton had all but figure out the defense, a wide-open shot bounced off of the bottom left post of the goal, preserving the one-goal game headed into halftime.

It took PDS just two minutes into the second half to tie the score up for the third time. But when it looked like the Panthers would take their first lead off of yet another breakaway, the ball was knocked right out of a Panthers’ stick, and instead returned for a Princeton goal with 6:24 left in the quarter.

Shavel, though, tied the game at four a few minutes later.

But Princeton had an answer for that too.

On the Little Tigers’ next possession, Joe Hawes scored a quick goal, giving them a 5-4 lead heading into the final 12 minutes.

“We wanted them to be Eli Manning-guys,” said Princeton coach Peter Stanton. “Eli Manning, when the game is on the line, isn’t thinking about losing the game. Our kids kept that attitude of ‘what do we have to do to win this game.’”

As they had in the previous quarter, the Panthers scored a quick goal from Lisk to tie the score at five. And again, the Tigers had an answer, as Halliday scored on the very next play down the field.

For PDS, overtime provided no opportunity for a comeback, just the sting of defeat the Panthers avoided last year.

“Princeton High is a great rival,” said Panthers coach Rob Tuckman. “We stole one from them last year and they stole one from us this year.”